The artist was born in South Africa in 1968. He graduated from Wesleyan University and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and moved to Maine. "He lives in Hancock, Maine in a big old farmhouse that always needs painting (ironic, isn’t it?) with his wife Sarah, two impish sons named Finnegan and Corin, and a chocolate lab who’d do anything for a tummy rub. He’s found that the most effective ways to procrastinate are making espressos and following European football." (davidgbakerpainting.com)

The inspiration for this picture is the 'Willow Song' sung by Desdemona in Act IV, Scene III of Othello. Shakespeare adapted a traditional English song to fit a female character and the melancholy words heighten the ominous atmosphere as Desdemona prepares for bed for what will be the final time. (christie's)

Van Valckenborch was born in Leuven about 16 miles of Brussels, he was enrolled in the Guild of St Luke in Mechelen in 1560 and four years later was quite a master. His wife, whose name is unknown, bore him a son, Martin, who later chose the profession of his father. In 1566 he fled Mechelen as he was a supporter of the Reformation and settled in Liege for a year and then went to Aachen.
Once it was safe to return to the Netherlands van Valckenborch came to Antwerp around 1570. Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor, was his patron, and travelled with him down the Danube as far as Linz where van Valckenborch stayed as a court painter until 1593 when the artist left for Frankfurt am Main. He was buried there in St. Peter's Cemetery in 1597.